Cycling shoe

ABSTRACT

A clipless cycling shoe having an upper and a base plate. The base plate has a medial portion, a lateral portion and a medial sidewall. The medial portion has a rigid support structure having a top portion and a bottom portion, a cavity is formed between the top portion and bottom portion, wherein the cavity is filled with a core material. The lateral portion has a lateral plate. The medial sidewall wrap is adjacent the medial portion and extends outward and upward relative to the base plate and the medial sidewall wrap extends a portion of the length of the base plate. The medial portion is desirably thicker than the lateral portion.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. Pat. Application No.16/274,090, filed Feb. 12, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S. Pat.Application No. 13/543,677, filed Jul. 6, 2012. Each of the foregoingapplications are hereby incorporated by reference herein in theirentirety.

BACKGROUND Field of the Invention

This disclosure relates generally to the field of cycling footwear, moreparticularly to a cycling shoe.

SUMMARY

There are numerous types of cycling shoes which vary in weight, fit andcomfort.

One aspect of one embodiment of the invention is the recognition thatthe stiffness of the cycling shoe is one of the factors that determinethe amount of energy transferred from a rider to the bike. By making theshoe stiffer, the amount of energy transferred from the rider to thebike during the pedal stroke can be increased. One of the ways toincrease the stiffness of the cycling shoe is to increase the stiffnessof the base plate.

Another aspect of one embodiment of the invention is that the energytransfer is influenced not only by the amount of stiffness of the shoe,but also the area in which stiffness is increased. Specifically, in oneembodiment the cycling shoe provides strength and stiffness where thecycling shoe is actually applying pressure during a pedal stroke. Oneaspect of the invention is the recognition that during a pedal strokethe most pressure is applied by the first metatarsal, the big toe, andthe heel.

In one embodiment, a clipless cycling shoe has an upper and a baseplate. The base plate includes a medial portion, a lateral portion, anda medial sidewall. The medial portion has a rigid support structurehaving a top portion and a bottom portion, a cavity is formed betweenthe top portion and bottom portion, wherein the cavity is filled with acore material. The lateral portion has a lateral plate. The medialsidewall adjacent the medial portion that extends upward from the medialportion, the medial sidewall extends longitudinally along a portion ofthe length of the base plate. The medial portion is thicker than thelateral portion.

In other embodiments the core material is a polyurethane foam. Thebottom portion can be thicker than the top portion of the supportstructure. The medial portion can be wider than the lateral portion. Thelateral plate can have a uniform thickness. The base plate can have anorifice positioned in a toe section of the lateral portion. The uppercan be flexible. The base plate can be carbon fiber. The base plate canbe a noncompressible material.

In an alternate embodiment, a clipless cycling shoe has an upper and abase plate. A width of the base plate divided between a lateral portionand a medial portion. The medial portion of the base plate has a rigidsupport structure has a top portion and a bottom portion, a cavity isformed between the top portion and the bottom portion, and a corematerial substantially fills the cavity. The lateral portion has alateral rigid plate. The base plate also has a phalanges section. At thephalanges section, a width of the medial portion is at least the samesize or greater than a width of the lateral portion and a thickness ofthe medial portion is at least 1.75 times greater that a thickness ofthe medial portion.

In another embodiment at a metatarsal section of the base plate, a widthof the medial portion is at least three times greater than a width ofthe lateral portion and a thickness of the medial portion is at least 2times greater that a thickness of the medial portion.

In another embodiment at an upper tarsal section of the base plate, awidth of the medial portion is at least 1.5 times greater than a widthof the lateral portion and a thickness of the medial portion is at least2 times greater that a thickness of the medial portion.

In another embodiment at a lower tarsal section of the base plate, awidth of the medial portion is at least the same size or greater than awidth of the lateral portion and a thickness of the medial portion is atleast 2.5 times greater that a thickness of the medial portion.

In some embodiments the base plate further comprises a medial sidewall.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cycling shoe.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of an embodiment of a base plate of a cyclingshoe.

FIG. 3 is a view of the medial side of the base plate from FIG. 2 .

FIG. 4 is a view of the lateral side of the base plate from FIG. 2 .

FIG. 5 is a top view of the base plate from FIG. 2 .

FIG. 6 is a cross section of the base plate from FIG. 2 taken along line6-6.

FIG. 7 is a cross section of the base plate from FIG. 2 taken along line7-7.

FIG. 8 is a cross section of the base plate from FIG. 2 taken along line8-8.

FIG. 9 is a cross section of the base plate from FIG. 2 taken along line9-9.

FIG. 10 is a cross section of the base plate from FIG. 2 taken alongline 10-10.

FIG. 11 is a cross section of the base plate from FIG. 2 taken alongline 11-11.

FIG. 12 is a cross section of the base plate from FIG. 2 taken alongline 12-12.

FIG. 13 is an illustration of a cycling shoe coupled to a pedal andcrank arm.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a clipless cycling shoe 20. Thecycling shoe 20 has a sole or base plate 22, an upper 24, and a closuresystem 26 on the topside of the upper 24. The upper 24 can be formedfrom nylon, synthetic leather, leather, or other material. The plate 22can be formed from nylon, composite plates, carbon fiber, othernoncompressible materials, or a combination of materials. The closuresystem 26 can be can have straps, a strap with a buckle or ratchetingmechanism, dial closure mechanism, or other closure mechanisms. Thecycling shoe can have an insole (not shown).

Clipless cycling shoes have generally been designed with a symmetricalfocus across the base plate or sole. The shoes have generally beendesigned to have consistent stiffness and rigidity across the medialside and lateral side. To do this, the structure of the shoe on themedial side has been generally symmetric with the structure of the shoeon lateral side. This symmetric design generally yields consistentstiffness and rigidity across the base plate.

The cycling shoe can be designed to focus the weight and strength wherethe pressure is actually being applied during a pedal stroke. During apedal stroke the most pressure is applied towards the medial side of theplate, more specifically to the first metatarsal, the big toe, and theheel sections of the base plate. The geometry and structure of the baseplate can be reinforced in the areas where the most pressure is appliedin order to increase the stiffness, reduce the weight, and increase thefit and comfort of the shoe.

A reinforced medial side with a rigid support structure can increase thestiffness of the shoe and reduce the weight. By focusing more materialand increasing the stiffness of the structure on the medial side, thebase plate can have a higher stiffness on the portions of the base platewhere pressure is applied. A base plate that has higher stiffness andrigidity where pressure is applied yields less flex thereby transferringmore power directly from the cyclist’s leg and foot to the pedal and thebike. Further by focusing the material on the medial portion and havingless material on the lateral portion, the overall weight of the shoe canbe reduced even though the effective stiffness is increased.

The stiffness of the base plate can be increased by having sidewalls onthe medial and lateral sides of the plate wrap up around the foot andcreate a “bathtub” style construction. This can increase stiffness;however this bathtub design can be limiting to the fit and comfort ofthe cyclist's foot. The tall wrapping edges on both sides of the baseplate can cause a rigid and restrictive fit that does not accommodatevariations in foot shape. Similarly, rigid sidewalls on both sides ofthe base plate can make it difficult to accommodate different sizedfeet. For example, wider feet are constrained and restricted by therigid sides, which can make the shoe uncomfortable and can restrict theflow of blood to the feet during long rides. Feet that are too narrowcan shift within the rigid soles of the shoe during cycling because theshoe closure mechanism does not adequately adjust the sizing of therigid sidewalls.

A rigid sidewall or wrap on the medial side and a substantially flatlateral side can increase the stiffness of the base plate and provideimproved fit and comfort for the cyclist's foot. The medial side of thefoot is supported by the rigid sidewall and the flexible upper conformsto the lateral side of the foot. The flexible upper provides support andcan be adjusted by appropriately accommodate different sized feet. Theclosure mechanism can be used to adjust the flexible upper toappropriately secure the foot within the shoe. A wider foot can extendoff the lateral side of the base plate and be held in place by theupper. A narrower foot can be substantially secured into place by theclosure mechanism of the upper.

FIGS. 2 through 5 illustrate views of an embodiment of a sole or baseplate 30 for a cycling shoe with a reinforced medial side. In thisembodiment the base plate 30 includes an orifice 44, a skid plate 42, aplurality of cleat mounting holes 46, and heel pads 48. The base plate30 has a top surface, a bottom surface, a medial side 32 and a lateralside 34. The medial side 32 is the arch side or inner side of the plate30. The lateral side 34 is the outer side of the plate 30. FIG. 3 is aside view of the medial side of the base plate. FIG. 4 is a view of thelateral side of the base plate. The base plate 30 can be divided uplongitudinally into sections based on the portion of the foot thatcontacts the base plate 30. The base plate can have a phalanges or toessection, a metatarsal section, and a tarsal or heel section. The topsurface of the base plate 30 is substantially smooth. The middle of thetop surface is desirably substantially flat and rotates slightly upwardson the lateral edge 34. On the medial side 32 the base plate has asidewall 36 that extends upwards and is configured to wrap around theside of the cyclist's foot. The curvature of the base plate 30 isdesirably configured to match the curvature of the foot. The base plate30 can be formed from a rigid material such as nylon, composite plates,carbon fiber, other noncompressible materials, or a combination ofmaterials. The base plate 30 can be manufactured as a single structure.The base plate desirably has a reinforced medial portion 38 and alateral portion 40. The outer edge of the medial portion is shown byline 35.

In this embodiment, the base plate 30 has a skid plate 42 positionedsubstantially around the top part of the base plate 30. The skid plate42 can be formed from a rubberized coating, thermoplastic polyurethane,or other suitable material. The skid plate 42 is designed to helpprotect the toe section of the base plate 46 from being damaged duringnormal usage. The base plate also has two heel pads 48. The pads 48 canbe removable. The pads 48 are configured to protect the base plate ofthe shoe when the cyclist is walking. In this embodiment the bottom sideof the base plate 30 is substantially smooth and does not have tread orother material for traction.

The orifice 44 desirably extends through the base plate. The orifice canprovide airflow to the interior of the shoe to cool the foot of thecyclist while riding. In some embodiments the orifice 44 can have a meshcoating that covers the orifice. An insole can also cover the orifice44. The orifice 44 is desirably sized and shaped to not substantiallyaffect the effective stiffness and rigidity of the shoe that is requiredfor pedaling.

The plurality of cleat mounting holes 46 is desirably positioned in themiddle or metatarsal portion of the shoe. There are desirably threeholes 46 positioned in a triangular cleat mounting pattern. The threecleat mounting holes 46 are desirably configured in a pattern that fitsa plurality of different cleats and clipless pedals.

FIGS. 6 through 12 are cross sections of the base plate 30 along thelines referenced on FIG. 2 . The general structure of the base plate 30is described in reference to FIG. 8 . The base plate 30 can be generallydivided up into three portions, the sidewall 36, the medial portion 38,and the lateral portion 40.

The medial portion 38 of the base plate 30 desirably has a medialsupport structure 50. The support structure 50 desirably has a topportion 52 and a bottom portion 54. The bottom portion 54 extends orangles upward toward the top portion 52. A cavity 56 is formed in thesupport structure 50 between the top portion 52 and the bottom portion54. In some embodiments the medial support structure 50 is solid doesnot have a cavity 56. The support structure 50 is formed from a rigidmaterial. A filler or core material 57 can fill the cavity 56. In someembodiments, a core material 57 can be used to increase the stiffness ofthe base plate 30. In some embodiments, the core material 57 can be anoncompressible lightweight material, such as polyurethane foam. Thesupport structure has a medial side end 60 and a lateral side end 62.The bottom portion 54 ramps up to the top portion 52 on the medial sideend. The side wall 36 extends upward from the medial side end of thesupport structure 50. The bottom portion 54 ramps up to the top portion52 at the lateral side end. The lateral portion 40 extends outwards fromthe lateral side end of the support structure 50. The support structure50 is configured to increase the rigidity and stiffness of the baseplate 30. The thickness of the support structure 50 is desirably largestwhen at medial side end and decreases towards the lateral side end.

The lateral portion 40 is desirably a single plate having a top andbottom surface. The lateral portion desirably merges with the topportion 52 and the bottom portion 54 of the support structure 50. Thelateral portion can have a uniform thickness and has the same curvatureas the base plate. The bottom surface of the lateral portion desirablyintersects with the lateral side end 62 of the medial portion structure50.

The sidewall 36 portion curves generally upward relative to the medialand lateral portions 38, 40 of the base plate 30. The sidewall 36desirably merges with the top portion 52 and the bottom portion 54 ofthe support structure 50 at the medial side end 60. The height andcurvature of the sidewall 36 desirably varies along the length of thebase plate 30. The height and profile of the sidewall 36 is illustratedin FIG. 3 . The cross sections of the base plate 30 shown in FIGS. 7through 11 illustrate the varying curvature and height of the sidewall36. The structure and geometry of the sidewall are desirably configuredto reinforce and stiffen the medial side of the base plate 30. Thesidewall 36 is configured to wrap around the medial side of the shoe andthe cyclist's foot.

The structural elements discussed with respect to the sidewall, medial,and lateral portions apply generally to the base plate 30. The widthsand proportions of the medial portions and the lateral portions can varyalong the length of the base plate 30. By way of example, FIG. 7 shows across section of the phalanges section 70, which has a medial portion 72and a lateral portion 74. The medial portion 72 and the lateral portions74 of the phalanges section 80 have different dimensions and differentproportions than the medial portion 82 and the lateral portion 84 of themetatarsal section 80.

The base plate 30 is described herein as having different portionsand/or structures, such as the medial, lateral, and sidewall portions.These conventions are used to describe the structure of the base plateand are not to be construed to limit the disclosure to a base platehaving separate components with explicit structural boundaries. Themedial, lateral, and sidewall portions can be formed and fabricated as asingle structure.

FIG. 6 is a cross section along the approximate centerline of the baseplate 30. The cross section start of the medial portion cavity 56 nearthe toe of the base plate 30 and the end of the cavity 56 near the heelsection. In this embodiment, the top portion 52 of the support structurehas a substantially uniform thickness and the bottom portion 54 has asubstantially uniform thickness. In this embodiment the thickness of thebottom portion 54 is greater than the thickness of the top portion 52.In some embodiments the top and bottom portions 52, 54 can have the samethickness.

FIG. 7 is a cross section of the phalanges section 70 of the base plate30. In the phalanges section 70, the medial portion 38 has a width 72and a thickness 73. The thickness of the medial portion 73 is greatestat the medial side and decreases as it approaches the lateral side. Thelateral portion 40 has a width 74 and a thickness 75. The orifice 44 isformed through the lateral portion 40 of the base plate. At thephalanges section, the width of the medial portion 72 can be the samesize or greater than the width of the lateral portion 74. The thicknessof the medial portion 73 can be at least 1.75 times greater than thethickness of the lateral portion 75. In one embodiment the medialportion has a width of 43 mm and a thickness of 3.45 mm, and the lateralside has a width of 26 mm and a thickness of 1.70 mm.

FIG. 8 is a cross section of the metatarsal section 80 of the base plate30. In the metatarsal section 80, the medial portion 38 has a width 82and a thickness 83. The thickness of the medial portion 93 is greatestat the medial side and decreases as it approaches the lateral side. Thelateral portion 40 has a width 84 and a thickness 85. The sidewall 36curves upwards and outwards from the medial portion 38. At themetatarsal section 80, the width of the medial portion 82 can be atleast three times greater than the width of the lateral portion 84. Thethickness of the medial portion 83 can be at least two times greaterthan the thickness of the lateral portion 85. In one embodiment themedial portion has a width of 70 mm and a thickness that ranges fromapproximately 6.00 mm to 4.35 mm, and the lateral side has a width of 13mm and a thickness of 1.70 mm.

FIG. 9 is a cross section of the cleat section 90 of the base plate 30.In the cleat section 90, the medial portion 38 has a width 92 and athickness 93. The thickness of the medial portion 93 is greatest at themedial side and decreases as it approaches the lateral side. The lateralportion 40 has a width 94 and a thickness 95. The sidewall 36 curvesupwards and outwards from the medial portion 38. The cleat holes 46 areformed in the medial portion 38. The medial portion cavity 56 is formedaround the cleat holes 46 and has reinforced sidewalls between the cleatholes 46 and the cavity 56.

At the cleat section 90, the width of the medial portion 92 can be atleast five times greater than the width of the lateral portion 94. Thethickness of the medial portion 93 can be at least two times greaterthan the thickness of the lateral portion 95. In one embodiment themedial portion has a width of 73 mm and a thickness that ranges fromapproximately 6.00 mm to 4.35 mm, and the lateral side has a width of 11mm and a thickness of 1.70 mm.

FIG. 10 is a cross section of the upper tarsal section 100 of the baseplate 30. In the upper tarsal section 100, the medial portion 38 has awidth 102 and a thickness 103. The thickness of the medial portion 103is greatest at the medial side and decreases as it approaches thelateral side. The lateral portion 40 has a width 104 and a thickness105. The sidewall 36 curves upwards and outwards from the medial portion38. At the upper tarsal section 100, the width of the medial portion 102can be at least 1.5 times greater than the width of the lateral portion104. The thickness of the medial portion 103 can be at least 2.5 timesgreater than the thickness of the lateral portion 105. In one embodimentthe medial portion has a width of 39 mm and a thickness that ranges fromapproximately 10 mm to 13 mm, and the lateral side has a width of 19 mmand a thickness of 1.70 mm.

FIG. 11 is a cross section of the lower tarsal section 110 of the baseplate 30. In the lower tarsal section 110, the medial portion 38 has awidth 112 and a thickness 113. The thickness of the medial portion 113is greatest at the medial side and decreases as it approaches thelateral side. The lateral portion 40 has a width 114 and a thickness115. The sidewall 36 curves upwards and outwards from the medial portion38. At the lower tarsal section 110, the width of the medial portion 102can be the same size or greater than the width of the lateral portion104. The thickness of the medial portion 103 can be at least 2.5 timesgreater than the thickness of the lateral portion 105. In one embodimentthe medial portion has a width of 25 mm and a thickness that ranges fromapproximately 7.5 mm to 5.5 mm, and the lateral side has a width of 18mm and a thickness of 1.70 mm.

Different embodiments and different size cycling shoes can havedifferent dimensions for the medial and lateral portions at thedifferent sections, but the relative ratios between the medial andlateral portion can be substantially the same.

FIG. 12 is a cross section of the heel section 120 of the base plate.The base plate 30 of the heel section 120 shows the pads 48. The baseplate 30 is not divided between a medial and a lateral portion.

FIG. 13 illustrates the coupling of a cycling shoe 200 to a pedal 220.The pedal 220 is securely coupled to a crank arm 230. Rotation of thecrank arm by the pedal during a pedal stroke moves the bike. The cyclingshoe 200 has a base plate, such as the base plate 30 discussed herein.The cleat plate 210 is desirably securely mounted to a cleat mountingportion of the base plate. The cleat plate 210 is configured toremovably couple to the pedal 220. The cleat plate 210 can be insertedinto and removed from the pedal 220 by the cyclist. The cleat plate 210effectively couples the base plate of the cycling shoe 200 to the pedal220 during the entire rotation of the pedal stroke.

Although this invention has been disclosed in the context of certainpreferred embodiments and examples, it will be understood by thoseskilled in the art that the present invention extends beyond thespecifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodimentsand/or uses of the invention and obvious modifications and equivalentsthereof. In addition, while a number of variations of the invention havebeen shown and described in detail, other modifications, which arewithin the scope of this invention, will be readily apparent to those ofskill in the art based upon this disclosure. It is also contemplatedthat various combinations or sub-combinations of the specific featuresand aspects of the embodiments may be made and still fall within thescope of the invention. Accordingly, it should be understood thatvarious features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments can becombined with or substituted for one another in order to form varyingmodes of the disclosed invention. Thus, it is intended that the scope ofthe present invention herein disclosed should not be limited by theparticular disclosed embodiments described above, but should bedetermined only by a fair reading of the claims that follow.

Similarly, this method of disclosure, is not to be interpreted asreflecting an intention that any claim require more features than areexpressly recited in that claim. Rather, as the following claimsreflect, inventive aspects lie in a combination of fewer than allfeatures of any single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claimsfollowing the Detailed Description are hereby expressly incorporatedinto this Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as aseparate embodiment.

What is claimed is:
 1. A clipless cycling shoe comprising: an upper; abase plate comprising, a medial portion having a rigid support structurehaving a top portion and a bottom portion, a cavity is formed betweenthe top portion and bottom portion, wherein the cavity is filled with acore material, a lateral portion having a lateral plate, a medialsidewall adjacent the medial portion that extends upward from the medialportion, the medial sidewall extends longitudinally along a portion ofthe length of the base plate; and wherein the medial portion is thickerthan the lateral portion.